


safeguard

by simplyclockwork



Series: natural progression [5]
Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Developing Sherlock Holmes/John Watson, Established Sherlock Holmes/John Watson, Ficlets, M/M, POV John Watson, Series, Sherlock Holmes & John Watson Friendship, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-08
Updated: 2019-11-08
Packaged: 2021-01-25 18:14:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21360547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/simplyclockwork/pseuds/simplyclockwork
Summary: "if it were up to me, you’d never feel sad again"
Relationships: Sherlock Holmes & John Watson, Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Series: natural progression [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1538974
Comments: 12
Kudos: 70





	safeguard

**Author's Note:**

> Ficlet 5 in a series of short fics I'm planning to write based on posts from the tumblr account affectionatesuggestion
> 
> This one is kind of an abstract babble, sorry
> 
> The series will follow a progression into an established Johnlock relationship

The times when John looks at Sherlock and sees not the acerbic, abrasive sociopath are not always as common as he would like, often finding himself reduced to mere fodder and foil for the detective to use as he paints himself as an unsurpassable genius.

But, in the moments where that role is discarded; cast aside beneath situations that leave Sherlock exposed and vulnerable, John knows his place.

When someone deems Sherlock abnormal, diminishing him beneath miscalculation and cruelty for things not understood; when Mycroft reduces his brother to a helpless child; when his brain craves self-destruction and distraction; when Sherlock speaks of never having a friend—of never being upheld as the brilliant man he is, John finds himself falling into the heavy responsibility of picking Sherlock back up and building him into the man John knows him to be.

Every cry of ‘freak!’; label of ‘junkie’; of ‘stupid little brother’ is contested by John, challenged in his exclamations of ‘brilliant’, ‘fantastic’, and ‘amazing’. The day they met, Sherlock astounded and confused him, and he has not stopped since.

So, on a day when John finds Sherlock pensive and withdrawn beneath the onslaught of Scotland Yard’s ignorant staff, he doesn’t hesitate to intervene.

The word ‘freak’ drops from Donovan’s mouth, and John steps into her face with brutal silence. He doesn’t speak, just stands between her and Sherlock, ever the soldier; shielding his singular troop from crossfire.

When Donovan sucks in a breath and opens her mouth to speak, John shakes his head; fixes his eyes on hers and whispers: “Don’t.”

And she doesn’t, and he moves away; lets Donovan step past him with rage in her eyes and fury in her mouth. John looks to Sherlock, standing to the side, and notes the faint surprise in his eyes. Surprise and, deeper, heavy sadness at the rejection society shoves his way.

John grits his teeth and digs his hands into fists, because, no matter how he challenges the world, the damage is done and they both know it. The damage has been done for years and years, well before that first day in the laboratory at Bart’s, and the fact of the matter fills John with a pathetic anger.

He moves to Sherlock’s side with the offering of a smile and a question that lights a glint in the detective’s eye; sets him off on a machine-gun-rattle of deductions that draws praise from John’s eager lips.

For now, and as long as he can, all he can do is stand beside Sherlock and fill his role.


End file.
